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South Texas Plains Region

rpoe — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 22:09:03 +0000

Returned to Choke Canyon State Park that I enjoyed so much last year. The el nino weather pattern does not appear to be present this year and the nicer weather probably accounts for more visitors here this time. There is still plenty of breathing room though.

Photos above: the oak trees in the park are full of green jays this year, much more so than last year. They are busy burying acorns and doing their part to plant more oak trees.

Great kiskadee. It’s so great hearing green jays and great kiskadees again. This is the northern edge of their habitat.

Scissor-tailed flycatcher. The only one I’ve seen so far. Also have not seen many vermiion flycatcher’s this year. Last year there was a resident one at my campsite.There are lots of raptors around: red-tailed hawks, caracara, osprey, and an amazing number of great-horned owls. There have to be 20-30 of them in the brush around the campground.

I drove the backroads through southern Texas hill country to get to the park. Started seeing creasted caracara (Mexican eagles) where the hill country and southern plains meet.

Golden-fronted woodpecker

Happened to see this curve-billed thrasher while watching green jays in an oak tree.

Armadillos are doing their part to aerate the soil. There have been groups of white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, and armadillos grazing in the area around the campground.

Here kitty, kitty

rpoe — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:10:35 +0000

I am visiting Choke Canyon State Park, between San Antonio and Corpus Christi, Texas. Was here once before during Thanksgiving, when it was really crowded. Now there are only a handful of people here. The birding is amazing. I decided not to go to Brazos Bend State Park, one of my favorites, this year and am finding Choke Canyon a worthy substitute. They even have alligators.

Yesterday kept intermittently hearing a strange sound that didn’t sound like birds. Finally stepped out of my rv to investigate and saw a bobcat in the brush. It looked at me briefly and then went about it’s business of looking for prey.

When I arrived at my campsite, there was a resident vermilion flycatcher hunting there.

Scissor-tailed flycatcher. First one I’ve seen.

Osprey diving into the water. Didn’t get the fish.

A kingbird, either a tropical or Cassin’s, both uncommon.

Crested caracara

Back in Texas

rpoe — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:34:51 +0000

I am currently in Austin, Texas for a few days. First time I haven’t had to use the furnace at night for a while.

From Bosque del Apache, I went to:

Bottomless Lakes State Park in Roswell, New Mexico
An Escapee park in Pecos, Texas
South Llano River State Park in Junction, Texas

Pictures are all from South Llano River State Park.

Thin looking white-tailed deer. It was sad to see road kill deers about every 5 or 10 miles on I-10.

Black-crested titmouse

Lots of red cardinals.